Ars chirurgica a compendium of the theory and practice of chirurgery in seven books ... shewing the names, causes, signs, differences, prognosticks, and various intentions of curing all kinds of chirurgick diseases ... : to which is added Pharmacopoeia chirurgica, or, The medical store, Latin and English ... / by William Salmon ...

III. Gabriel Clauder, his Way of Embalming.

XXXII. The most famous Em∣balmer that ever yet came upon the Stage of the World, was the Excellent Bilsius, who did it with that Curiosity, that not any of the Embalming Matter stuck to the outward Parts of the Body; his Fame reached to the King of Spain's Ears, who had him in such admiration, that he or∣dered him to be paid (by his Governour in the low Coutries) Twenty Thousand Crowns, upon condition he should declare faithfully upon Oath, his so ex∣cellent an Art; and to be an honorary Professor in the Uni∣versity of Lovain, where he should teach Anatomy according to his Manual Operation; for which he was to have a Pension

of Two Thousand Crowns per Annum.

XXXIII. But the University refused him, after much strug∣gling; whereupon at length, Bil∣sius laden with his Money, bid Lovain farewel; and going home to his United Provinces, he died, and (for all that we yet know) his famous Secret was buried with him.

XXXIV. This admirable ex∣cellency of Bilsius put others upon search, and though Bilsius was so un∣kind as not to make the World happy with his Invention, it put another Man upon making Trials; to wit, the Excellent Clauder, Phy∣sician to the Duke of Saxony, who after many and various Experiments, found out the following most excellent Method or Way.

XXXV. The Body having been dead at most but twenty-four hours, he lays its in a long and large Oaken Tray, or Tray of some other hard Wood; upon which he pours his Preserving, or Embalming Spirit, so much as will over-top the Body about ten Inches.

XXXVI. This Spirit is made extemporanco modo, thus: ℞ fair Water lbxij. Pot-ashes lbij. mix and dissolve, letting them stand for an hour or two: To which Solu∣tion add of the best Sal Armoniack poudered lbj. or something more; shake them together (in a Glass) oftentimes, for the more easie and better dissolution of the Ingredients, stopping the Glass, lest the volatil Particles should fly out; which done, filter it through a brown Pa∣per, and keep it for use.

XXXVII. Now as this Spirit is filled with both a fixed and a Volatil Alcali; so it immediately raises the Body, and will not let it sink for some Days, or Weeks, by reason of a Crude and Im∣pure Matter, which puffs up the Body like a Tympany; for which reason, and lest the up∣per Parts which would lie un∣covered, might Corrupt, either the Vessel must be every Day moderately shaken, that the Balsamick Liquor may come at all the Parts; or the Corps must be prest down in the Liquor, (which is the better way) with a piece, or two, of a wooden Lath.

XXXVIII. This done, the Ves∣sel must be exactly covered, and the Chinks must be stopt close with Paper and Paste; not only to prevent the Volatil Spirits from flying away, but also to keep the External Air from getting in, and Corrupting it.

XXXIX. If it be a large Body, it must lie twelve or thirteen Weeks; but for little Bodies, six or eight Weeks will be sufficient to to lie in this Pickle; and a Months time may be long enough for others: And it ought to be kept in a cool Place, not a hot and moist, which is chiefly to be observed in Summer time: See also whe∣ther the Flesh be hard, or soft.

XL. After a Month, two, or three, the Vessel must be opened, and the Liquor gertly poured off, or taken out; and the Body is to be gently taken out of the Ves∣sel, which done, it is to rest for eighteen or twenty-four Hours.

XLI. Then lay it in a Stove of a moderare heat, to dry up the

superfluous moisture, or you may lay hot Bricks upon the Belly, or strew upon it hot Sand, es∣pecially upon the Abdomen; or in Summer time, you may ex∣pose it to the vehement Heat of the Sun.

XLII. But note, that you turn the Body every day on a new side, that the Humidities of every part, may be the better dried up by the external Heat; after which it may be washt with a Spunge, to clear it of Filth, if any be; and then well dried, by wiping with hot Linnen Cloths.

XLIII. What has been hitherto said, may be sufficient, if it be a Child, or the Body is only kept some few Weeks, for the performing of the Funeral Obsequies: But if it be a Man or Woman, or a very large fat Body, and it is intend∣ed to be kept for a longer Con∣tinuance, you must within 18, or 24 Hours after Death, set the Body upright, and pour into the Stomach, by the Mouth, 16, 20, 24, or 30 Ounces, more or less of the afore-described Spiritus Balsamans, doing it leisurely, that it may well re∣pleat the Stomach, and take Possession thereof; stopping the Mouth, Chops, and Throat with Cotton dipt in dissolved Myrrh, Balsam Capivi, or Cypress Tur∣pentine; binding it also in, if you see need require it, lest the Spirit should come forth again.

XLIV. In the Arm-holes, and in the Groins, you may make holes with a sharp Knife, or a three∣square-pointed Bodkin, so deep that they may pierce into the Capacity of the Thorax and Abdomen; in∣to which put Pipes, made either of large Goose or Swans Quills, or turned, and made out of some hard Wood, as Box, or rather of Ivory, (not much unlike to Clyster-pipes, but their Heads need not be full out so large) that thereby the Embalming Liquor may the more easily en∣ter into, and repleat the said Cavisities of the Brest and Bel∣ly, and so correct the Cru∣dities of the Blood and Hu∣mors, lodging in the Mesentery, and inward Parts of the other Bowels, which otherwise would Putrifie and Rot, but by this means will be easily and happily dried and preserved.

XLV. The Stomach being thus filled by the Mouth, and the Pipes put into their several holes under the Arms, and in the Groins, let the Body be laid in a fit Posture, as directed at Sect. 35 afore∣going, pouring upon it, the Spiritus Balsamans, till it is the height above the Body, before directed, letting it lie in the Spirit for six or eight Weeks, at least, before the Preserving Li∣quor is decanted, or poured off.

XLVI. If also to the former Em∣balming Liquor, you add the Juices of Wormwood, Carduus, or Centory, or any other bitter thing, as Colocynthis, Aloes, Myrrh, &c. which have also a mighty Pre∣serving Power in them, you will very much augment the Bal∣samick Energy, and Force.

XLVII. A very fat Body is much more difficult and tedious to be Embalmed after this manner, because the thick Substance of the Fat, does resist the Force of

the penetrating Balsamick Spi∣rit: And therefore, for that Reason, the Body must be re∣tained a longer time in the Pre∣serving Liquor.

XLVIII. Now, if there be any Ʋlcer, or Ʋlcers in the Body, whether inward or outward; or any Vessel broken, by which there is an Efflux of Blood, which has lain and putrified in the Body; (though the Embalming Spirit being but once affused upon the Body may do, yet, because it will be depauperated, and made Spiritless) it will be best in these Cases, or where speed is required in doing the Work, to decant off, or change the first affused Liquor, after it has lain on about fourteen Days: and this second Affusion, after it has lain the same space of time, may be decanted in like man∣ner, and once more repeated with fresh Spirit: But oftner is not necessary, because of its mighty Penetrability, whereby an Erosion of the Abdomen may be feared, which Experience has sufficiently taught.

XLIX. This doubtless, is an excellent way of Preserving dead Bodies: But if the Relatives of the Deceased will be perswaded to an Exenteration, which is a remo∣ving of the Viscera of both Ven∣tricles, viz. of the Thorax and Abdomen, according to the for∣mer Methods of Embalming; as it will exceed all the other ways yet taught, so will it be performed in a much shorter time, than what we have here limited: And if the Viscera be cleansed, and Embalmed by themselves, with the same Li∣quor, they may (if you so please) be reposited.

L. The Body having now laid its due time in the Embalming Spirit, let it be gently removed and laid by its self, as before-di∣rected at Sect. 40. for eighteen or twenty-four Hours, that the Liquor may drain away, and the superfluous Moisture be dried up: Then put it into the Tray or Trough again, and pour upon it this following Liquor; ℞ Water q.v. in every Gallon of which, dissolve of Nitre or Alum q.s. or ℥vi. or viij. letting it over-top the Body six or eight Inches, and lie therein for two or three Days.

LI. This being done, pour off the Liquor, and take forth the Body; which being drained well, and freed by wiping with dry Linnen Cloths, from the superfluous Hu∣midities, put it into a Stove of a moderate heat, to be through∣ly dried; or you may wrap it up and dry it in a Sand heat; or otherwise expose it to the heat of the Sun, till it is dried as much as is needful.

LII. And though the Body is dried, yet will not the Volatil saline Particles easily fly away, but adhere to the Parts through which they have pierced, and even dwell there, not considerably eva∣porating, they being in some measure fixed by the Acids of the Body, and held in by the Skin, Membranes, and other Parts, their Pores being as it were constringed, or closed; and they will yet more firmly adhere, or stick to the Parts

within the Body, for the same Reasons.

LIII. But how long a Body thus Embalmed, or Preserved, may keep, is scarcely possibly to be de∣termined, we can only speak to this Matter by Conjecture; though it may be hoped, that it may be Conserved many Years; and some Bodies naturally dry, even to a kind of Petrification: But, the ground of such a Conserva∣tion and Durability, consists very much in defending the Body from the Mutations of the Air; and, in particular, from the Humidities thereof, which will be apt to resolve and melt the saline Matter, with which the Body is Preserved.

LIV. Lastly, It prevails much for the long keeping, and durabi∣lity of the Body, to cleanse it often, from the Putriscible Atoms or Par∣ticles, adhering to the Skin, for some Weeks together, with a Spunge dipt in the Embalming Liquor; or the afore-described Aqua Nitrata, keeping it either in a hot and dry, or else in a very cold and dry Place: After which it may be wrapped in a Cere-cloth, made of Linnen, dipt into a Composition of Wax mixt with Turpentine, and so laid in a Coffin of Wood, Lead, or Tin, as its ultimate Defence against the Injuries of the Air.